Method of burning gaseous mixtures



March 12, 1929. s. P. VAUGHN .5mm/vwo@` SIDNEY F. VAUGHN 335% his A 065% i gig 40 corrugations extendin vPatented Mu; 12, 1929."

AUNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

armrlixrnanur VAUGHN, or seaman, MISSISSIPPI, AssIeNoR 'ro cri-1E summer: couBUsrIoN COMPANY, INcoBrom'rEn, or TOLEDO, onro, A coRromIoN or NRW YORK.

IE'IHOD 0F BURNING GASEOUS MIXTURES.

Application led November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,668.'

This invention relates to means and method for developing. radiant heat by burning explosive gaseous Amixtures while m contact with a refractory surface.

In prior methods of burning explosive gaseous mixtures where combustion takes place on the surface' of a permeable refractory bed at normal rates of combustion and the products of combustion are allowed to pass through the bed, an increase in the rate of combustlon w11l force the zone of combustion into the refractory bed and reduce the amount of radlant heat thrown off from the impact surface, and

, where an explosive gaseous mixture is forced through a porous and permeable refractory diaphragm and 'combustion allowed to take place on the exit side of the diaphragm, the

zone of combustion is localized on the exit sideby a 'fixed rate of combustion. Moreover, 1f the rate of combustion drops, the combustion zone of the mixture recedes into the refractory bed and if the rate of combustion is increased there will be a blow olf. In either case there is a decreasein the amount a5 of radiant heat thrown olf from the radiating surface. In my invention the zone of combustion is confined to the surface of therefractory bed regardless of the rateof coml bustion and thus the highest possible heat 3o radiating eiiiciency is obtained forall rates of combustion.

.In accordance with the present invention explosive gaseous mixture is directed along the line of curvature of a combustion bed having a concaved surface and is caused to burn 'while moving along the surface of the bed. The bed therefore becomes intensely hot and gives forth radiant heat. The surface of the combustion bed is ,preferabl provided with para lel with the line of curvature of the be 1n order amon other things that the flow-of the gases may e confined to individual paths. The grooves thus formed are preferably made relatively deep and narrow in order to more rapidly retard the velocity of thev explosive mixture to a point corresponding tothat of flame 'propagation in the mixture and the ridges are preferably made iglatively narrow in order to more quickly become incandescent.

For a more complete understandin of the invention reference is made to the detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specificatlon.

Referring to Athedrawings,

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a furpace embodylng the principles of my invenion. l Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an open heatmg apparatus embodying luy-invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and illustrating one form which the grooves and ridges may take. i

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of corrugated surface of the combustion bed.`

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the combustion bed l surface shown in Fig. l andl showing how the grooves preferably increase in width in a direction away from the place where the combustible gases are initially `introduced into the grooves, the 'View being a fragmentary portion between lines 3 3 and A A; 0f Fig. 1. l

In the furnace shown in Fig. 1, the walls of the heating chamber are generally indicated at 10 andthe chamber lis shown as substantlally circular in cross section. However,

-such showing is merely for .illustrative purposes. The chamber walls beyond the initial curvature at the bottom chamber or above the line 3 3, for example, may be straight if desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The interior walls of the chamber form a combustion bedl against which the explosive gaseous'mixture burns. Projecting through a longitudinally extending opening in the bottom of the chamber is a tube l2 leading from a combustible mixture supply chamber 14. From the tube 12 the mixture is directed in opposite directions against the lower curved part 16 of the combustion bed. The -mixture thus impinged' against the curved surface iiows upwardly and begins t0 burn where the velocity of the mixture equals that of flame propagation in the mixture, the products of combustionissuing from the chamber through a suitable iiue or opening generally indicated at 18. Inasmuch as the mixture burns against the combustion bed, the bed becomes incandescent and constitutes a source of radiant heat for heating the chamber.

The means associated with the tube 12 for directing the explosive gaseous mixture against the combustion bed may take any suitable form. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the top of the tube is open, and in relatively closely spaced relation therewith is a longltudinally extending flat block 20. Through the space between the block and the top of the tube, the explosive mixture issues with a velocit sufficient to prevent back iiash as will be rea ily understood. This block may also Vserve as the bed of the heating chamber and may be laterally extended into proximity with the combustion bed as shown. The tube 12 connects with the supply chamber 14. As

-. a means for supplying the supply chamber 14 with explosive gaseous mixture, there has been shown a gas supply pipe 22 having a restricted orifice whlch discharges into a Venturi tube 24 connected with the supply chamber. The gas in passing into the Venturi tube entrains air as will be readily understood.

While it is preferable to burn a perfect explosive gaseous mixture, it will be understood that the quantity of combustion supporting gas may be varied to suit conditions. For in- `stance, it may be desirable to direct a relatively rich mixture into the combustion bed and depend upon the jet entraining enough Y air in the vicinity of the combustion bed to cpmgletecombustlon. Tothisendtheopening 1n t e bottom of the chamber may be larger than the outside diameter of the tube as indicated at 26. i

The combustion bed in addition to being curved where the combustible mixture is impinged thereagainst is also formed with a corru ated surface, the grooves or channels and ridges extending in parallelism with the line of curvature. The channels are indicat- --ture towell defined lpaths of flow but alsoA ed at 28 and the ridges at 30. The channels are preferably relativel deep in order not only to better confine t e combustible mixand primaril .by lfrictional action to more effectually re uce the velocity of the injected mixture to that at which propagation of inilammation will take place. As the fuel burns the ridges will become highly heated'and thus accelerate combustion and radiate freely the heat of the fuel. The cross sectional shape of the rid es may vary from those having par- .allel si es to those havin outwardl verging sides as shown in i s. 2 an 4, re-

spectively. The inverted V- aped form of.-

rldge offers a stronger constructlon and may be more desirable for that reason but on the other hand 'a parallelwalled ridge offers a somewhat better fiow channel for the gases.

' Due to the vfact that the velocity of the gases decreases the farther they get from. their original oint ofl entry, the flow channels 23 may gra ually widen out in the direction of ow to allow a freer upward iiow of the products of combustion. In such case the parfallel-sided ridges will gradually decrease in cony not be entirely practical to make the heating v chamber fully circular in cross section but where circumstances permit such form is much to be desired as the heat from the combustion bed side walls is then radiated ontoI the work from all sides.` ,n

' Fig. 2 shows how my invention may be embodied in an open type of heating appa- I ratus.. The combustion bed 10 has a lower curved part 16 and channels 28 and ridges 80 corresponding to the parts 16, 28 and 30 in the.- furnace construction already described. This combustion bed 10 also shows how the upper part of the ridges may be extended forwardly with respect to the bottom of the channels 1n order amongotlrer things toprovide a more pronounced flue construction 10a forthe upwardly iiowing' products of combustion, it" being noted that the upper part of the combustion bed as determined by the bottom of the roove-is shown as straight. The means for -recting the combustlble gases into the grooves may convenientl takeu the form of a lipped tube 12 connecte with a supply pipe 32 leading from a suitable source of supply of combus ible gaseous mixture as will be readily understood.

As already indicated the principles of this invention may be embodied in various forms of heating apparatus, and I therefore intend no limitations on the invention except as may be expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of burning-'explosive gas-I eous mixtures, which consists in driving the mixture with a velocity greater than the rate of propagation of iniiammation through the mixture against the surface of a corrugated combustion bed and parallel with the corrugations therein, whereb the mixture is caused to enter thev grooves o the corrugations and its ow velocity reduced by friction tothe rate of propagation of inflammation, and

burning the mixture in the grooves of the corrugations.

2. The method of burning explosive gaseous mixtures, which consists in causing the mixture to iow with a velocity greater than the rate of propagation of iniammation through the mixture and then reducing the velocity to the rate of propagation by-c'ausing the mixture to iiw against the surface of a corrugated combustion bed and arallel with the corrugations therein, and urnng the mixture in the grooves and on the ridges the surface of an incandescent corrugated 1 0 I of the corrugated surface. v combustion bed and parallel with thecorru- 3. The method of producing radiant heat, gations formed therein, reducing the velocity which consists in combining a fuel in a finely to the rate of propagation of inflammation divided state with -a combustion supporting by frictional Contact with the corrugated surgas in proportions to form an explosive gasface, burning the mixture While in Contact 15 eous mixture, driving the mixture at a vewith the corrugated surface. locity greater than the rate of propagation In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

of inflammation through the mixture against SIDNEY PARI-IAM VAUGHN. 

